Cannabis Care for Pharmacists Webinar - October 1st 12-1pm
Upcoming Webinar: Cannabis Care Tools & Strategies
Join us for an interdisciplinary panel discussion on cannabis use and evidence-based strategies for supporting patients who use cannabis.
Facilitator: Maria Zhang, Advanced Practice Clinical Leader (Pharmacy) at CAMH and Adjunct Lecturer at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto.
This session builds on research by Drs. Laura Murphy and Beth Sproule, featuring the CFP-funded Cannabis Care Guide for Pharmacists and continuing professional development opportunities to enhance pharmacist confidence and patient care quality.
Organized by: Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy in partnership with Linda Prytula.
Trainee Welcome 2025
🤝 UTCSP Welcome Event
Please join us for our annual Welcome Event, where we bring together the entire pain community: researchers, clinicians, trainees, and partners. It is a chance to connect, celebrate achievements, and hear what is coming next. We hope to see you there.
Date: September 30, 2025
Location: Hart House Music Room (7 Hart House Circle)
Time: 4-6 pm
Please REGISTER HERE!
Pain Talk by Josep Roman Juan
Upcoming Talk: Structural Inequities and the Epidemiology of Pediatric Chronic Pain📅 November 12, 2025 | 5:00–6:00 PM | Location: University of Toronto MS3278 (Medical Sciences Building)
The Centre for the Study of Pain is pleased to host Dr. Josep Roman-Juan (University of Manchester) for a special lecture on how structural inequities shape the epidemiology of pediatric chronic pain—and what clinicians need to know.
Dr. Roman-Juan is the 2024 recipient of the prestigious John J. Bonica Trainee Fellowship from the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). His research adopts an international, intersectional, and transdisciplinary approach to uncover the early roots of chronic pain in childhood. By analyzing large-scale international datasets—including genetic, neuroimaging, interpersonal, cultural, and structural factors—his work seeks to build a comprehensive Bio-Psycho-Social-Structural Model of pediatric chronic pain.
This talk will highlight how innovative methodologies, including machine learning, can deepen our understanding of pain beyond traditional biomedical models—opening new possibilities for prevention and intervention.
Join us to hear how cutting-edge research is reframing pediatric chronic pain through a lens of equity, systems thinking, and clinical relevance.
Hitting the Pause Button on Pain
Can We Prevent Chronic Pain Before It Starts?
Chronic pain often develops after surgery or injury, but researchers are finding new ways to stop it before it takes hold. At the University of Toronto, clinicians are leading international trials testing treatments like lidocaine infusions during surgery and high-dose vitamin C supplements to reduce long-term pain. Other teams are exploring how the immune system’s early response influences recovery, pointing toward novel immunotherapies. Together, these innovations could transform pain care, reducing suffering, lowering reliance on opioids, and improving recovery for patients worldwide.
Pain Talks 2025
The Quebec Network of Junior Pain Investigators is proud to present the 10th edition of PAINtalks, a free, bilingual, TED-style conference taking place Thursday, November 13, 2025, live from the Gesù Creative Arts Center in Montreal.
Designed to make pain science accessible to everyone, PAINtalks brings together leading voices to share engaging, thought-provoking presentations that connect research, lived experience, and innovation. The event will be streamed online, allowing participants to join from anywhere—live or on-demand.
Now celebrating its 10th year, PAINtalks has reached audiences worldwide, with over 137,000 views on YouTube and participants tuning in from across Canada, the United States, Europe, and Australia. Through collaborations with organizations such as the Canadian Pain Society (CPS), the North American Pain School (NAPS), and the European Pain School (EPS), PAINtalks continues to expand its reach and impact as a truly international platform.
Save The Date!
IASP 2026 Wold Congress on Pain
Join the World’s Leading Pain Experts in Bangkok
IASP 2026 World Congress on Pain
26 – 30 October | Bangkok, Thailand
Be part of the largest global gathering of pain professionals at the IASP World Congress on Pain 2026—a five-day event bringing together thousands of scientists, clinicians, and healthcare providers from around the world. This premier international congress is your gateway to the latest in pain research, clinical practices, and cutting-edge innovations.
Can We Talk About Pain?
Once seen as a symptom, chronic pain is now recognized as a disease in its own right. Yet, despite its prevalence, pain remains difficult to talk about.
In this short video from Temerty Medicine, meet three voices reshaping the way we understand and communicate about pain — including UTCSP Executive Dr. Andrea Furlan, a YouTuber dedicated to patient education, and UTCSP Director Dr. Rachael Bosma, an educator leading new approaches to pain care and curriculum.
From U of T Med Magazine: Beyond Opioids
University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain (UTCSP) members are at the forefront of revolutionizing pain management beyond traditional opioid-focused approaches. UTCSP researchers like Dr. Karim Ladha are leading clinical trials exploring cannabis and psilocybin for chronic pain, while Dr. Isabelle Boileau is pioneering brain imaging techniques to identify addiction risk factors. Dr. Andrea Furlan has developed comprehensive training programs helping physicians safely taper patients off opioids, with clinical trials showing nearly 30% of chronic pain patients can successfully discontinue opioids with proper support. From genetic testing to predict individual opioid responses to investigating novel therapeutic compounds, UTCSP members are creating the foundation for safer, more personalized pain care that moves beyond one-size-fits-all treatments toward individualized medicine tailored to each patient's unique biology and needs.
Read the article from UofT Med Magazine here!
When Patients Lead Research: Featuring Vina Mohabir
We're proud to highlight the remarkable journey of UTCSP Trainee Member Vina Mohabir, a doctoral student at U of T's Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, whose personal experience with chronic pain has shaped her into a leading advocate for better pain care. Featured in a recent article by Scott Fotheringham, Vina's story exemplifies the power of patient partnership in research—from receiving life-changing care at SickKids Pain Centre as a teenager to now working alongside the same team to develop digital tools like iCanCope that reduce stigma for youth with chronic conditions. Her research in the iOUCH Pain Lab demonstrates how lived experience can drive meaningful innovation in chronic pain management, offering hope for the eight million Canadians living with persistent pain.
Presenting: The Pain Issue | UofTMed Magazine
Can We Talk About Pain?
We flinch in anticipation —
a squint, a grimace, a breath held tight.
Sudden or slow.
Lingering or fleeting.
Pain is the body’s Red Alert —
shaping how we move, live and heal.
More than sensation,
pain is a memory, biology, psychology.
The Summer 2025 issue of UofT Med Magazine invites readers to explore the many dimensions of pain — how we feel it, fight it, and begin to understand it. And how science is bringing us closer to lasting relief.
📰 Explore the issue: From personal stories to innovative research, the magazine explores how pain is being redefined, understood, and more effectively treated.
